


Love Two

by Naithom



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gossip, Little Aunts have big ears, Propositions, Tennis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:41:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25976875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naithom/pseuds/Naithom
Summary: Aunt P overheard a very interesting conversation...
Relationships: Phryne Fisher & Prudence Stanley, Phryne Fisher/Jack Robinson
Comments: 27
Kudos: 108





	Love Two

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, many, many thanks to my beta FirstGenTrekkie!
> 
> Second, this is only rated T because I used a phrase that may be offensive in some areas of the world.
> 
> Third, if you want a continuation of this, let me know. FirstGenTrekkie does so I probably will but I wanted to feel productive while under the weather, so I decided to post this.

“Phryne, I should be quite vexed with you! I should not have to be informed that you and the Inspector have gone from flirtation to an understanding by someone as loathsome as Angela Lombard!”

Phryne nearly choked on her champagne.

“Aunt P…Angela…what?”

“I overheard that Lombard woman speaking to the Inspector. Never in my life have I ever heard such a blatant proposition. She said to him,   
‘If you ever get tired of Miss Fisher and wanna play ball with me, I'll give you the best game you've ever had.’

I was simply mortified that not only would she flaunt herself like that in public but that she would do so while making it clear she knows that he is courting someone else!”

Phryne tried to keep her face neutral. She wasn’t surprised by Angela’s overt proposition but she did wonder how Jack would react to her suggesting that they were in a relationship. She realized that maybe she shouldn’t have made that teeth remark to Angela but her control slipped a bit when Angela had mentioned Jack’s fingers and his untying of her top. 

Prudence continued, “I must say I was quite impressed with how your Inspector behaved himself under such disgraceful circumstances. He quite elegantly but quite firmly made his position crystal clear. ‘I think we both know that's a challenge I won't be accepting.’ I was quite impressed. Not every man would be willing to turn down a…an…Not every man is faithful under such situations.”

The elder woman watched carefully as she told her niece the tale. She noted how Phryne paled when hearing of the tennis player’s comment and not only blushed but blinked her eyes in hearing of the Inspector’s proclamation of fidelity. Prudence suspected that this might be one of the first serious relationships she’d had as she had always stated she would never marry. (Something she blamed strongly on her wastrel of a brother-in-law.) She knew she often presented herself as gruff to her lone surviving niece but Prudence did love Phryne dearly and wanted her to have a better life than she had had growing up, and a healthier romantic relationship than her parents had."

Phryne, quite literally, could not think of how to respond to her aunt. On one hand, she could say honestly that they weren’t in a courtship but she had no idea how to describe what their friendship was evolving into but, on the other hand, even though he was unaware, Jack had just all but pledged his troth to her in front of Aunt Prudence. She didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or find some whiskey but suddenly, for no apparent reason, she found her champagne glass extremely interesting.

“Child,” Prudence’s tone became gentle and vaguely maternal. “I know that you may be, how would you put it, be flying into unfamiliar territory which is always unsettling but Jack Robinson is as fine a man as either of us know. While, in the past, I would have preferred someone of our social tier for you, I suspect we’re both quite aware of how many of our social tier keep getting sent to prison or the gallows. What I want for you is to be cherished by an honorable man and I believe you’ve found him. Now, have you anything to say, or are you going to sit there with your mouth open like a halibut?”

Phryne couldn’t help but laugh. “Aunt P, saying this is unfamiliar territory is truer than you think – while we’re both aware there’s something there and we’ve sort of danced around it, so to speak, we’ve not acted upon it nor really discussed it. I know he cares for me and I hope he knows I care for him…we’ve both just been so hurt in the past and are both more than a bit gun-shy of entering into a commitment…”

“Well, how do you feel about him turning that Lombard woman down?”

Phryne’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Bloody marvelous!”

“Phryne! Language!” Prudence Stanley’s strict admonition did not match the twinkle in her eye and the slight chuckle she tried to hide in clearing her throat. “I suggest, child, that as the Inspector has made it clear that the ball is in your court, you should decide to make the best of it. Now, go, you’ve spent quite enough time fulfilling your family duty to your dotty old aunt, why don’t you use those investigative talents of yours to find out what time your young man gets off duty.”

After snatching a last biscuit as she made for the door to follow her aunt’s instructions, Phryne gave her a peck on the cheek with the quip, “You’re not dotty at all, love.”

“I expect all positive yet socially appropriate updates, dear.” Prudence looked forward to their next luncheon knowing that if Phryne played her cards right, the news would be quite interesting.


End file.
